The Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1973 as an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental research institute of the University of Pennsylvania. Since its inception, the Cancer Center has been continuously funded through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) core Support Grant, receiving five-year renewals in 1984, and 1989, and 1994, and 1999. The Cancer Center has been designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the NCI since the early 1970s and was re-designated as a comprehensive Cancer Center by the NCI in 1991. The University of Pennsylvania has had a long and successful track record in terms of scientific leadership, administrative involvement and excellent accrual to clinical trials with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, with continuous funding for more than two decades. In late 2002, the ECOG Principal Investigators Committee reviewed the ECOG participation of the University of Pennsylvania, and found it to be among the strongest academic institutions in the Group, with outstanding scientific and administrative leadership. Data management was found to be good, and accrual acceptable, but continuous improvements in all areas of participation in ECOG activities remain the most important focus of this grant application. The areas in which anticipated improvements are targeted are: institutional support, faculty development, scientific contributions, data management organization and accrual enhancement.